Assam University celebrates Environment Day; VC, Controller plants tea saplings

Assam University observed World Environment Day with the plantation of tree saplings and the inauguration of a model tea plantation in the University. A program was hosted by the Department of Ecology with the collaboration of Assam University and Department of Forest of Assam Government to celebrate the significant day. Vice Chancellor Professor Rajib Mohan Pant attended the event as Chief Guest; P. Shuivkumar, the Chief Conservator of Forests of Southern Assam Circle; and I. B. Upadhyay, manager of Rosekandy Tea Estate, M. Tejas, the divisional Forest Officer, was also present at the event as speakers.

Dr. Pradosh Kiran Nath, Registrar of University addressed the event and spoke about the economical consequences and sustainable development goals. Prof. Jayashree Rout, dean of the School of Environmental Sciences spoke on the burning issue of Climate Change. Dr. Parthankar Choudhury, Dr. Panna Deb were amongst the organizers and other key note speakers of the event. The program discussed the key issues and tried bring the Environment and Climate discourses into the mainstream.

The program was followed by plantation of tree sapling across the universities. Faculties, Staffs and research scholars participated in the mass plantation program. A model tea plantation was inaugurated in the residential area of Assam University.

On the other hand, on the occasion of world environment day, a Twitter campaign was launched in Twitter and Facebook standing in solidarity with the workers of Dolu Tea estate. The campaign is being organized by a local civil rights group. As many as three million tea plant will be removed from the Dolu tea estate because government has approved this land for a proposed airport, but controversies erupted shortly when the workers protested against the move. Environmental activists also shown red flags and raised concerns about its environmental consequences.

World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 every year to raise awareness about deteriorating environment and climate conditions, and to encourage people to take positive environmental actions, to help create a better future, the campaign is internationally led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

UN Conference on the Human Environment — the Stockholm conference held in 1972 became the first world conference with the environment as its major agenda and it declared the right to live in a healthy environment as a basic human right. 2022 is a historic milestone as it marks 50 years since the 1972 Stockholm Conference. With Sweden as the host country, the slogan for World Environment day 2022 is “Only One Earth”, which focuses on living sustainably in harmony with nature. India, this year hosted the 45th celebration of World Environment Day, and the theme was ‘Beat Plastic Pollution.